It's the second time in a year Berger, one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school, has suffered such a crippling setback. He tore his ACL last August and missed his senior season at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. Sources told Eleven Warriors it's the same knee as last year.

Before that, Berger finished his junior year with 105 tackles, 44 tackles-for-loss and 10 sacks to earn third-team All-Ohio honors by the Associated Press. He committed to coach Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes in April 2013.

Berger was expected to provide depth for a linebacker corps that’s struggled the last two seasons.